Large industrial complexes are utilized to process raw hydrocarbons in order to produce the fuels and related materials that our complex economy relies upon to move goods, run factories, heat homes, transport food, keep machinery operating smoothly, and otherwise allow our modern lives to continue. In particular, oil and gas plants/refineries are often large, complex facilities with huge storage and processing tanks, miles of pipelines, and untold numbers of towers, valves, pipes, and related equipment that make up the systems. Many of these structures must be periodically drained, cleaned and maintained.
Currently, low-points in such systems often contain drain valves which can be opened to flush out residue liquids, vapors, etc. (collectively, “refuse”) that remain after the primary materials have been removed from the system(s). Catch basins, tubs, open-air tanks, etc. are often placed under such drain valves in order to catch some portion of this refuse and a vacuum truck is then used to suck up what materials flow into these basins. However, since much of the refuse is gaseous vapor or volatile liquids, the vacuum truck is left only what liquids haven't evaporated into the environment. Hooking the vacuum truck directly to the system is often impossible; and, when possible, it can be unwise to do so, as the vacuum the truck employs can damage the sometimes fragile equipment in the systems.
What is needed is a piece of portable equipment that can be easily relocated between drain sites and allows for the capture of both liquids and gases/vapors directly from the systems. Such a device should be capable of containing both liquids and vapors, must be able to withstand the vacuum from the vacuum truck, and should have safety valve(s) to release and handle varying vacuums so that the system that is being drained is protected therefrom.